That's a Promise
by IncurablyAwesome
Summary: Ryou Bakura has been in love with Ishizu Ishtar since she taught him to skate when he was nine years old. Eight years later, she comes back into his life. There's only one problem; she doesn't remember him at all. Graceshipping. AU.
1. Chapter 1

The ice held no beauty for Ryou Bakura.

It was a shame; the wide outdoor skating rink formed by the frozen lake was smooth and perfect, and the light dusting of glittering snow that covered it gave off a surreal beauty that seemed almost wasteful upon the eyes of mortal men. That anyone could see it and not be transfixed by its magic was simply impossible.

But to the nine-year-old who hesitated on the edge of the snow, wobbling on his skates, there was only fear. He had tried to learn to skate – he really had! But no matter what he did, it didn't work. Even the supports always slid out of his grasp.

He sat down dejectedly. He had come down here by himself to try and practice without his friends seeing; it was so embarrassing to keep falling over in front of them. But now that he was here, he wondered why he had even bothered. It wasn't as though learning to skate was overly important; thousands – millions – of people out there couldn't skate, and most of them were older than he was.

But there was something about _not _being able to skate that made him upset. It wasn't that he couldn't do it; it was that he had tried it, and he had been unable to learn. Maybe it was just because he was being a stubborn little boy.

Sighing, he decided that now he was here, in his skates...he might as well try. Tentatively, he stepped out onto the ice.

Instantly, his feet slid out from underneath him and he hid the ice with a resounding thud.

After his initial yell of pain, he forced himself to be quiet; there was nobody here who would care if he fell. His legs shaking, he got to his feet again.

He didn't bother with the support; it never seemed to help. He moved one of his feet forward, slowly. The other tried to go along with it, and it ended in another fall.

Ten minutes later, Ryou's eyes were filled with tears. His whole body was aching and there was no way he could possibly learn to skate with the bones in his legs turned to jelly. After falling down for at least the twentieth time, he didn't get up.

He lay on his side, with his head on the ice. The cold seeped through his entire body until he was shivering. He felt a tear slide down his face and land on the ice, where is began to freeze. He was miserable; it wasn't about skating anymore, it was about himself. Why couldn't he do it? It wasn't fair!

Slowly, he raised a shivering hand to push himself to his feet again. His gloves were filled with snow and chilling him from the inside, but he didn't care anymore. He stood on his knees and prepared to stand up again, on his skates.

Closing his eyes, he leaned back, pushing his feet out from under him. After a shaky moment, he was on his skates again.

But not for long. He could already feel his balance slipping, and he started to topple forward again, his feet giving out below him. He waited for the inevitable impact with the ice.

It never came.

Ryou felt the person into whom he fell begin to slide backwards on her skates, but the slide came to a smooth halt as she swiftly flipped one of her skates sideways.

For a moment, Ryou stayed totally still, taking in what had just happened. Then he realised that he was still holding onto the girl. He let go and tried to back off, only to almost fall over yet again, as he would have done had she not grabbed his arms to steady him.

"Um...thanks," Ryou said, embarrassed.

The girl smiled. "That's okay. You could have hurt yourself. Are you alright? You were just lying there on the ice before..."

"I'm fine," Ryou said instantly, trying to sound grown-up.

The girl, who was at least two heads taller than Ryou, was wearing a fur lined hoodie pulled up over her head. Under it, he saw that she had long black hair and eyes of an unusual shade of blue. Her pretty tan-coloured face was framed with icy hair, but she was beaming a warm, friendly smile at him.

"That's good; the ice is pretty hard. You could easily have hurt yourself. You were very brave to keep getting up every time you fell."

Ryou glowed under her praise. "Well...it didn't hurt that much."

"I couldn't help but notice, though; I think that what you're having trouble with is just your balance. You're either putting all your weight to far forward or too far back, and that means that your skates try to go in the opposite direction."

Ryou looked at his feet. "No...I'm just really bad."

The girl laughed. "Of course you're not bad – you just haven't found your centre of gravity."

Ryou scowled. It was easy for her to say! She already knew how to skate. "That's not it at all!" he insisted.

The girl looked taken aback. Suddenly, she let go of Ryou. Caught off guard, he started to fall backwards again, until she caught him. "See what I mean?"

Ryou bit his lip, not knowing what to say.

Smiling, the girl led him back to the edge of the lake. "I'll show you," she said, skating backwards a few feet. "See, if you disperse your weight evenly, it just becomes a matter of moving your skates in the right way – that's really easy to pick up on." She demonstrated by skating a quick circle. "That's me. This is you:"

She leaned forward a noticeably long way. "This would be fine, but if you lean forward too far and try skating..." She leaned forward even further, and her skates slid out from underneath her. Ryou panicked, jumping forward to try to help, but miraculously, she regained her balance and straightened up. She skated back to him. "See? That's what you look like when you're skating. You can't stand too straight or you'll loose balance too easily, but you can't lean too far forward or you'll just loose balance full stop."

Ryou hesitated. Looking at her demonstration, it was easy to imagine himself doing it the same way. But was that really his problem?

"Come on; try it out!" The girl smiled and grabbed his hand, carefully leading him out onto the ice. Ryou had to place almost all his weight on her to keep himself from falling.

"Um, wait!" Ryou exclaimed. "I don't think I...I mean, I can't...what's your name, anyway?"

She looked amused. "I never did tell you, did I? My name is Ishizu."

"Mine's Ryou. Ryou Bakura."

She smiled and patted his back. "You really don't have to be scared, Ryou; it will get easier, and I'll catch you if you fall."

Ryou hesitated. "You...you don't have to do that! I can learn by myself..."

"But you might hurt yourself in the process," Ishizu insisted. "You're only little; you'll get hurt really easily."

"I'm not little! I'm nine!"

Ishizu smiled again, but didn't answer this comment. "Come on, you. You're a little man; you should be showing _me _how to skate."

Ryou looked uncertain, but tried none the less. Ishizu let go of his arms.

Ryou skated forward a couple of feet before overbalancing again and toppling forwards, only to be steadied again by Ishizu. Feeling safer, he tried again, concentrating on keeping his balance. This time, he travelled forward at least three metres before his foot slipped forward. Once again, Ishizu was there to catch him.

* * *

><p>"Just a bit more..." Ishizu encouraged. By this time, she was several feet ahead of him and skating backwards. Her arms were still poised to catch him if he fell, but it hadn't been necessary in nearly –<p>

"And that's one full lap of the lake all on your own!" she exclaimed. "You've done it!"

Ryou was grinning smugly. He was starting to understand what Ishizu had meant by finding his centre of balance. It was getting easier and easier to stay on his skates. He still had a long way to go before he could even consider backwards skating like Ishizu, or even simply skating at more than walking pace, but he didn't care; he was skating. He was skating, and he wasn't falling over or clinging to anyone or anything. He had finally done it!

"I'm going to go for two!" he announced, starting off another lap. For a second, he lost his balance again, but managed to save himself after a somewhat ungraceful stumble. Ishizu stayed a few feet ahead of him, skating backwards with a natural ease. But now, she was merely there as reassurance; Ryou was skating independently.

Two laps later, Ryou hadn't done worse than a few more clumsy stumbles. Almost subconsciously, he was speeding up.

"Do you think you can manage without me here?" Ishizu asked.

Ryou froze up instantly. He stopped – staggered a little – and stared at her. "What? Why? Are you leaving?"

"Of course not – I just don't think you need me in front anymore. Don't you want to see what's in front of you?"

Ryou bit his lip again, but after a bit of coaxing, he let Ishizu skate beside him instead of in front.

It must have been at least an hour before Ryou's painfully cold fingers forced him to leave the lake. He and Ishizu headed back to the shop to return Ryou's rented skates.

"You've gotten much better," Ishizu said, while she and Ryou put their boots back on.

Ryou nodded excitedly. "I never thought I'd be able to do it – thank you so much, Ishizu!"

She ruffled his long white hair. "I told you you were good! It's easy once you get the hang of it."

Ryou nodded again in agreement, sticking his icy fingers into his mouth, trying to bring the feeling back into them. He hadn't even noticed how much time had passed.

"I think you deserve a reward," Ishizu said. "How about a hot chocolate?"

Ryou's head shot up. A hot chocolate?

* * *

><p>They seated themselves at one of the tables in the shop. Ishizu had bought him a large hot chocolate, which Ryou needed two hands just to hold. He sipped it.<p>

"Thanks so much for helping me," he said again, embarrassed. "You must have come down here to skate, not to help me."

Ishizu had bought a somewhat smaller cup for herself, which she sipped too. "You really don't need to thank me," she said. "It was my pleasure; besides, I only came here to pass the time while my little brother went snow tubing with his friends." She gestured out the shop window, past the lake, to the long snow tubing tracks. "He'd spend all day on those things if he could."

Ryou sipped his chocolate again. "What's your brother like?"

"His name is Marik; he's eight."

Ryou looked a little wistful. "He's lucky; I wish I had a big sister. I have a little sister called Amane; she's five."

"I'm sure she's a very nice little girl; especially with a brother like you."

Ryou felt himself redden.

"Anyway, where are your parents? Didn't they come with you? What about your sister?"

At this, Ryou looked away. "Well...I told my parents I was going to my friend's house. But I came down here." He laughed shakily. "It was pretty silly; I wanted to be able to skate...I don't know why. All my friends can, and I...I wanted to be able to skate too. Just because they did. It's pretty silly."

"No it's not," Ishizu said. "I'm glad you came here."

Ryou dared to glance at her again. "You are?"

She grinned at him. "Of course I am. Aren't you?"

Ryou nodded enthusiastically.

After a moment in which neither or them spoke, Ryou broke the silence. "How old are you, Ishizu?"

Ishizu took another sip of her drink. "I'm thirteen."

"Wow! That's really old. I wish I was thirteen."

Ishizu laughed dryly. "No you don't – they start giving you big assignments at school."

"Really? How big?"

"_This_ big!" Ishizu held her arms open as wide as they would go. Ryou's eyes boggled.

"Wow...that's pretty big. Okay, I don't wish I was thirteen now."

Ishizu opened her mouth as if to speak, but was distracted by a sudden call.

"Ishizu!"

They both turned to see a small blonde boy enter the shop. Three other boys as well as a woman who must have been someone's mother entered after him. Upon seeing Ishizu, he waved. "Come on, sis! We need to go home now."

Ryou's face fell. Ishizu had to leave? They hadn't even finished their hot chocolates!

She stood up. "I'm coming, Marik!"

She picked up her things and looked back at Ryou. "Well...I guess this is it."

"Good bye, Ishizu." Ryou looked sad. He felt sad; he had started to like Ishizu.

Sensing his discomfort, she smiled reassuringly and ruffled up his hair. "It was nice meeting you, Ryou. Keep working on that skate; you're really good."

Ryou scuffed his feet as Ishizu stood up from the table. "I'll see you around?" he asked hopefully.

Ishizu looked genuinely sad at this. "Oh...maybe. I hope so."

Ryou blinked. What was wrong?

"I don't live around here; we're staying with our grandparents for a few weeks."

"Oh, I see." Ryou looked away, sad.

"I'm sure we'll see each other again."

"You are?" Ryou looked up at her again.

"I am." She bent and gave him a hug. "We'll go skating again sometime. That's a promise ."

"Ishizu!" Marik called impatiently.

Casting one final look over her shoulder, Ishizu ran to join her brother. "Good bye, Ryou!"

Ryou watched her leave through the door. He didn't move from the table as she and her brother waved Marik's friends goodbye and set off towards...wherever they needed to go.

It didn't matter where they were going; Ryou knew that he would see her again, because she had promised him he would. That was all that mattered.

Ryou hummed happily to himself as he made his way out of the shop. He cast one final look at the lake, and at that moment, he had never seen anything so beautiful.


	2. Chapter 2

Eight years had passed since Ryou and Ishizu had met at the frozen lake.

It was well into autumn; the leaves that littered the roads and footpaths were red and gold, and there was a unique crispness in the air that spoke of winter to come.

Winter always made Ryou sad; it brought back memories of Ishizu.

Ryou had only met her once in his life. For a few short hours. But those few hours were a memory he cherished. He remembered every minute of them; every word she had said, every stumble he had made, every time she had caught him, reassured him, told him to keep trying.

She had made a promise to him; they would see each other again someday. They would go skating again. It was a promise that Ryou held to his heart. Everything somehow came back to those words she had uttered before she left him. When he cried, he remembered them; he couldn't cry, because one day, Ishizu would come back.

One day.

Ryou had gone down to the skating rink every day that winter. Waiting. She hadn't said when she would come back, but Ryou knew that she would. And when she did, he would be there waiting for her. Even weeks after they had met, and Ryou knew that she must have gone home, he kept going to the lake. Every day, his day-to-day life – school, friends, family – were simply events between each visit there. He panicked when he was away – what if she came while he wasn't there? What if he never even knew?

When the ice had finally melted and the skating rink had closed, Ryou still went down there each day. Sometimes he would bring his homework and finish it by the lake. Other times he would just sit with his chin on his knees.

It had taken a long time for Ryou to accept that she wasn't coming back any time soon. His daily ventures eventually became weekly, until finally he only came down when he felt sad or lonely.

Now, Ryou was in his final year of high-school and about to start the year's second term. He rarely went to visit the lake.

He would when winter finally came and it froze over again; maybe she would come back again then.

Ryou wished that he could find her somehow, but he had so little to go on; her first name was Ishizu, she had grandparents who lived somewhere nearby, she was currently twenty-one years old and her brother Marik was sixteen.

He didn't even know what she looked like now. He remembered her back then very well; she had been tall and slender, with long black hair and blue eyes. And she had been very pretty.

Ryou uttered a sigh and looked up at the clouds, wondering if, somehow, Ishizu was looking at them too.

He was on his way to school. He grimaced at this thought; it was as though everything got ten times harder every week. Ishizu had been right; school was more fun when you were younger.

Ryou made his way up the stairs leading into the main part of the school. He checked his watch; school didn't start for another half hour still. Since none of his friends usually arrived until five minutes before the first bell, he decided to head to the library to work on an assignment.

Leaving his bag on the racks outside, he picked up the necessary textbook and pushed open the door to the library. He stepped inside.

Only to collide with another boy coming out.

Ryou managed to stop himself from falling at the cost of dropping his textbook. A second later, a yelp of pain told him that his book had landed on the other boy's foot.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Ryou exclaimed, horrified. What if it had hit in the wrong place and broken his toe? "Are you okay?"

The boy he had run into gave a pained smile. "Oh, hi! Don't worry, I'm fine. It was my fault, sorry." He bent to pick up the book, but Ryou didn't miss him using this opportunity to rub his toe. He straightened up and handed the book back. "I'm not used to this whole 'door system' with the in and the out." He gestured to the adjacent library door, which was supposed to be used by the people coming out of the library. "I got mixed up."

Ryou laughed, taking the book back. "Don't worry; it happens to the best of us. The library staff have been trying to get normal glass doors for years. Are you new here?"

The boy, who had blonde hair, tanned skin and looked to be a little younger than Ryou, nodded. "My family just moved here from Egypt."

"Egypt? Wow, then this school must be pretty new to you; I hope you settle in well," Ryou said in a friendly tone, still wondering if the new kid's foot was alright.

"Thanks." The new kid grinned, looking a little more relaxed. "Um, I have to go to the main office; I'll see you around, maybe."

Ryou gave him a friendly smile and waved him off before proceeding into the library.

* * *

><p>As with the first days of most terms, this one seemed tediously long, owing to the transition between vacation and school time. Ryou managed to crawl through it by thoughtlessly copying down the notes his teachers gave the class, to review later.<p>

It only took him twenty minutes to walk home on good days. Because of this, Ryou never had to rush in order to make it home. At the end of fifth period, instead of going straight home, he tagged along with his friend Yugi who lived in the opposite direction from the school.

After about five minutes, Ryou decided that he had better head home before his father started to worry. Saying his farewells to Yugi, Ryou turned and headed back in the direction of the school.

His thoughts were on his first day back. He had already been given the task sheet for one assignment, in Biology, and his Ancient History teacher had hinted at another one coming soon. He sighed, shifting his bag on his shoulder. That was just what he didn't need; it was hard enough study for tests without having to worry about assignments as well.

He was passing the school again. School had only finished ten minutes ago; the car park was still full of students being collected, and there was a steady stream of people leaving through the school's various exits. Still with his mind on his school work, he took the short cut through the car park to get to the other side of the school.

He would have walked right past her had it not been for the fly that landed on his cheek as he was passing through the car park. He shook his head, trying to make it fly away.

And his eyes fell on her like a magnet.

By all reason, he shouldn't have recognised her. After eight years, anyone else would have forgotten anything that could have sparked his recognition.

But he was not anyone else; he was Ryou Bakura. And somehow, _somehow, _this was Ishizu.

She was leaning with her back against the door of a white Suzuki. Her face was turned sideways to him, and her distinctive blue eyes flitted over the throng of students still pouring into the car park. Her long black trailed down her back, with two locks threaded through a series of gold beads that hung down from behind each of her ears.

Ryou wondered if she had been this beautiful the day they had met; he could easily have failed to see it through his young eyes. But he knew that it was impossible for her to have been the same and for him to not have noticed; she had been a thirteen-year-old girl back then. Now, she had grown into a young woman.

For a moment, Ryou couldn't move. She couldn't really be here, could she? It was just too...unbelievable.

And then the initial shock of seeing her – right in front of him, after eight years... – his nerves abandoned him. "Ishizu!"

At the sound of her name, she turned her head to find the owner of the voice. Ryou hesitated for a minute before approaching her. "I- Ishizu?"

They stood opposite each other for a moment without saying a word. Ishizu looked a little bewildered – friendly, but bewildered. Finally, she spoke. "Yes? I...I'm sorry, have we met?"

Ryou felt his heart fall right down to his knees. She didn't remember him? "It's me, Ryou Bakura."

Ryou searched her face, hoping to see some flicker of recognition there. When nothing came, he continued hastily. "F- from the ice skating rink."

Still nothing. Ryou pressed on. "Eight years ago...we met down at the ice skating rink...I was nine and you were thirteen. I was having trouble skating and you helped me."

Ishizu looked confused, and Ryou began to get desperate. "I was having trouble with balancing on my skates. And you showed me what I was doing wrong..."

"Oh..." Ishizu still looked confused. "I...I'm sorry, I don't remember it."

For a second, everything around him – the car park, the other students, the school – spun around like water running into a drainpipe. She didn't remember. She, Ishizu, didn't remember him. "Oh."

He would have been contented to leave his words at that, but she was still looking at him as though she expected him to say more. "Oh," he repeated. "I see. Well, it was quite a while ago..."

"I did come to live here for a few weeks, eight years ago," she said hastily, seeing that he was upset.

Ryou nodded. "You and your brother were staying with your grandparents."

She looked surprised. "That's right; we were!" She smiled. A smile that Ryou had played over in his head a thousand times. "I guess you must have been then."

Ryou was spared from having to think of something else to say by the arrival of the Egyptian transfer student from the library.

"Sorry for taking so long, sis!" he exclaimed, before he noticed Ryou there, talking to Ishizu. He stopped. "Oh, hi."

Ryou stared at him. He was _Marik_? Ishizu's little brother? He had only seen Marik for a moment eight years ago; he could hardly even remember what he had looked like. However, seeing Marik now and knowing who he was, he couldn't believe he hadn't compared him to the little blonde boy in his memory. _Her brother was right there – we spoke! And I didn't even know!_

"Marik," Ishizu said. "This is Ryou Bakura; he says we met each other when we stayed here eight years ago. Remember? With Gedo and Teta."

Marik nodded, and addressed Ryou. "We met this morning, didn't we? I never got to introduce myself; I'm Marik Ishtar."

Despite the fact that Ishizu had just introduced him, Ryou forced a smile and said, "I'm Ryou Bakura."

"So you've met Ishizu, huh?" he asked. "That's pretty cool; this sure is a small world."

Ryou nodded, suddenly feeling incredibly awkward.

"Well, I guess we'd better go," Ishizu said. "It was nice meeting you, Bakura – seeing you again, that is." She smiled at him.

"Y- yeah." Ryou nodded vigorously.

Marik proceeded to dump his bag in the boot of the Suzuki. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ryou!" he said, grinning as he got into the car.

Giving Ryou a final wave, Ishizu opened the door of the driver's side.

"Um, wait!" he blurted out.

Ishizu paused from getting into the car. "What is it, Bakura?"

Ryou froze, suddenly wondering why he had spoken. "…I'll see you around?"

Ishizu looked confused by this question for a second, but then smiled and nodded. "I'm sure you will."

Ryou watched the Suzuki pull away, before turning and heading towards home again. As soon as he was sure he was out of their eyeshot, he broke into a run.

His mind was in tatters. He didn't know what he needed to think first. He lingered on Ishizu's parting words. _I'm sure you will._ She had said something like that to him before. And she had been right.

He couldn't believe that she was really here! After eight years of waiting for her to come back, she really had.

But not for him. She didn't even remember him.

Ryou felt like an idiot. He had spent eight years wondering when she was finally going to return, and it hadn't even occurred to him that when she did, she would have no idea who he was.

He felt his heart lurch as he remembered that day. The winter when he was nine years old. He had never met someone who would care enough about a complete stranger that she would try so hard to help him. Ryou had nothing he could have given her as thanks, but she had done it anyway.

He hadn't thought it until many years later, but people like that were few and far between. Ishizu was truly one of a kind.

_I'll catch you if you fall…I'm glad you came here… _Ryou felt his eyes burn at the memory. _We'll go skating again sometime. That's a promise._

Those words had held him on his feet ever since that day. Those words had held up the sky. Those words had been the sun, the moon and the stars. How could she possibly have forgotten?

His running had paid off in time saved; eight minutes after he left the school, he was running up to his front door.

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading :D I know this pairing isn't the most popular, but I really like it :')<p>

According to Yahoo! Answers, 'Gedo' and 'Teta' are what some Egyptian people call their grandparents. I don't know this for sure, but it isn't really that important :/

Anyway, please review :D

~IA


	3. Chapter 3

_Dear Amane,_

_I saw Ishizu again today. Do you remember Ishizu? I told you about her before you went away. She was the girl from the skating rink._

_I don't know what to think; I'm happy – I am so, so, happy that I got to see her again – but she says she doesn't remember me at all. I guess eight years was just too long._

_I wish I could have found her before now; maybe she wouldn't have forgotten after so long. But I didn't know anything about her; I didn't even know her last name! I do now; it's 'Ishtar'. Ishizu Ishtar. Her younger brother, Marik, just started at my school in the grade below me. _

_It turns out that she was living in Egypt all this time; Marik said that's where they moved from. I guess that explains why they're both so tanned. No wonder it took so long for her to come back; it wouldn't be easy to just come and visit when you live all the way in Egypt. _

_Even though I learned a lot more about her today, I still wish I knew more; like how long will she be here? _

_Even if she doesn't remember me, I remember her; I'm not going to forget that day. I was so happy that she was kind enough to help me. Nobody had even done that for me before; I mean, I know that my friends and I would help each other out no matter what, but it's because we're friends. Ishizu didn't even know me._

Ryou sighed.

_I'm sorry to be bothering you with all of this, Amane. I just don't have anyone else to tell. I never told dad about Ishizu, since I wasn't supposed to be at the skating rink when I met her. And if I told him now…I just don't think he'd really understand. _

_You always understand. I wish I could see you again. I miss you so much, Amane. _

_I think dad just got home, so I have to go now. I'll write to you again soon, I promise. Give my love to mother._

_Your loving brother, _

_Ryou_

Ryou folded up the letter and slid it into an envelope. He would take it to his sister when next he visited her.

Writing to her always helped him feel better; it made him feel as though she was still there, patiently listening to all his problems just like she always had.

Sighing again, he put the envelope away and stood up from his desk. His father hadn't been home when Ryou arrived, but Ryou could hear him closing the door of their home now. Ryou made his way to the lounge room, which the front door opened into. "Hi, dad."

He looked in Ryou's direction at the sound of his son's voice. "Hey, Ryou. Anything new happen today?"

Smiling an empty smile, Ryou shook his head. "No…just the usual."

* * *

><p>It was on Friday that Ishizu visited the cemetery.<p>

She felt horrible that she and Marik had been in town for nearly two weeks and she hadn't even gone to it yet. It was, after all, why she had come here.

It was nearly five o'clock; she had already taken her brother home from school. She had decided to come down before it got too dark.

It was empty as she made her way along the rows of graves. She hardly dared to breathe, as though the spirits of the cemetery would be somehow unhappy at her trespass.

Ishizu had brought a bunch of flowers, which she laid to rest on her grandfather's grave. She crouched down silently, uttering a sad sigh. The autumn chill turned her breath into mist. "I'm going to miss you," she murmured.

Ishizu wished she could have stayed longer, but the night was starting to set in. She straightened up.

The town was small; everything was in walking distance of everything. Ishizu hadn't come by car. She was making her way to the gates when she noticed somebody coming in.

Ishizu bit her lip, emotions conflicting. She usually greeted passersby with a simple 'hello', but being in a cemetery made it difficult to do so. She prepared herself to pass him wordlessly when she realised she knew him. It was the boy she had met last Monday, when she picked up Marik from school; Ryou Bakura.

He was holding a large bundle of roses to his chest with one hand, and a small envelope in the other. He was staring off into space while he walked, his thoughts elsewhere.

Ishizu hesitated, unsure whether to greet him. "Um...Bakura?"

Ryou jumped slightly, and spun around. They had already passed each other; she was several feet behind him.

"Ishizu!" he exclaimed, sounding flustered. "Oh..." His face suddenly fell. "What are you doing here?"

Ishizu looked away, regretting that this meeting had taken place in a cemetery. "Visiting someone," she said after a moment.

"Oh...I'm so sorry, Ishizu."

They passed the next moment in awkward silence. "Are you...visiting...someone too?" Ishizu asked quietly.

Ryou looked down at the flowers he was holding. "Oh...yes, I am."

Ishizu's brow knitted with sympathy. "I'm so sorry."

After another long pause, Ishizu spoke up again. "I had better...um...go. I'll...see you later, Bakura."

Ryou started. "Wait, don't go..."

Ishizu blinked. Ryou suddenly looked very uncomfortable, much like he had on their first meeting – or their second. He stared at his feet, wordless. "Did you want me to come with you?" Ishizu asked.

Ryou raised his head to meet her eyes. "You don't have to do that."

She smiled, trying to lighten the atmosphere. But her smile was strained and empty; it was difficult to feel happy, surrounded by graves. "It's okay; it's not easy being in a place like this by yourself."

He hesitated. "Thank you..."

* * *

><p>They walked in silence as Ryou led the way along the rows of tombstones. Ishizu wanted to say something, but an eerie hush hung over their heads, and all words that could have been exchanged remained unspoken.<p>

Ryou stopped in front of one of the graves. It was on the very far side of the cemetery, which was untouched by any form of maintenance. Despite this, the one grave before which Ryou kneeled was kept pristinely tended. Delicate pink flowers lined its edges, surrounding a patch of carefully weeded grass, onto which Ryou laid his roses.

Ishizu kneeled beside him respectfully, her eyes straying to the tombstone.

_Amane Bakura_

_Aged twelve_

"_There was so much I had to say,_

_Before you had to go away._

_But now my love's all I can give,_

_It's yours to keep, long as I live."_

"Long as the sun burns way up high, or mountains reach out to the sky, I'll love you with my final breath, and still beyond that, into death."

Ishizu looked sideways at Ryou, who had noticed Ishizu reading the tombstone. He continued.

"You weren't an angel on this earth, but now you are one, from rebirth. But truly there's no difference, see; 'cause you were always one to me."

Had Ryou written that? "It's beautiful," Ishizu whispered.

Ryou's eyes fell back to the four lines on the grave. "They couldn't fit the whole thing on the stone."

Ishizu looked at the name and age again. "...Was Amane your sister?"

Ryou nodded, his eyes shadowed. "She died about a year ago. There was an accident..."

Ishizu touched his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "I'm so sorry, Bakura." She didn't know what else to say.

Ryou sighed, and placed his letter beside the flowers.

"You write to her?"

"Sometimes I do...people take them away after a while, but she reads them first. I'm sure of it."

Ishizu hesitated, still at a loss for words.

Ryou suddenly straightened up. "Thanks for coming...I'm really sorry to have made you do this, Ishizu."

"That's okay," she assured him, standing up too. "I...it was nice meeting your sister, and hearing your poem."

"But you didn't come here to. It's getting late. I- I shouldn't have kept you here..." He hesitated. "I mean...you were visiting somebody else..."

The guilt that hit Ishizu when she realised that she had forgotten about her grandfather was tremendous. She felt her eyes moisten as the thought of him came back to her. "My grandpa. He died a few weeks ago."

Ryou's eyes widened with shock. "Oh...Ishizu, I'm so sorry..."

Ishizu tried to laugh it off, but the laugh was thick and heavy. "That's okay...it's why we came up here; my grandma was heartbroken. We didn't want her to be alone; they didn't have any family in Japan. So Marik and I moved here to keep her company."

"Oh, I see..." Ryou bit his lip.

Ishizu could already feel the tears trying to break free of their confines. She held it in, not wanting to fall apart in front of him.

"They were the grandparents we were staying with eight years ago," she said, changing the direction of conversation.

"When we met?"

Ishizu nodded, wishing she could remember their supposed encounter at the skating rink.

There was another moment of hush. Neither of them dared to look at each other.

"It's getting dark," Ryou said suddenly. "We'd better go."

They walked together to the edge of the cemetery. As soon as they were outside the gates, it was as though a weight had been lifted from Ishizu's shoulders.

"Well...I guess I'll see you later then, Bakura." Ishizu smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

Ryou nodded. "You can call me Ryou, if you want."

She blinked, surprised, and then smiled. "Okay, then; Ryou it is. I'll see you later, Ryou."

Ryou hesitated. "Thanks for coming with me to visit Amane. I think she would have liked that."

"You're welcome any time, Ryou...nobody should have to lose a sibling." She hesitated too. "I can't imagine how much it would hurt if Marik..."

They both looked away.

"A- anyway," Ryou stammered, "I'd better go home."

Both of them had given up on ending their meeting without an awkward pause. After a few brief goodbyes, they parted ways.


	4. Chapter 4

Ryou was almost crying. He had wanted to see Ishizu again after Monday – but why, why, why, did it have to be in a cemetery? A _cemetery_!

It was past dark when he opened the front door of his house. He half expected his father to be there – but as usual, he wasn't. The house was empty.

Ryou's father was often away on business, and his mother had passed away several years prior. More often than not, Ryou was home alone.

It had been easier to cope with before Amane had died. It had been just the two of them together.

But now, there was nobody. Nobody to cry to. He rubbed his eyes, determined not to cry. He made his way up to his room, and slumped onto his desk chair.

If their meeting had occurred anywhere else, Ryou would have been laughing with happiness. But their presence in the cemetery had been inescapable. It had hung over their heads like some kind of cruel shadow.

Ishizu…despite everything, Ryou still found himself smiling as he thought of her. She hadn't changed at all. She was still the kindest person he had ever met. She had come with him to see Amane. He hadn't asked her to, but she had somehow known that he needed company. She had just lost her grandfather, but she had still found the time to go with Ryou.

And even the reason she had come back; to take care of her grandmother. What kind of person would do that? Only Ishizu.

Ryou rested his cheek on his hand. How on Earth was he going to concentrate on anything at all this weekend?

He stood up again, stretching. Worrying about it would do him no good now. He went downstairs again and took out a packet of two-minute noodles for his dinner.

* * *

><p>It was Saturday.<p>

Ryou had been seated at his desk for nearly an hour, absentmindedly finishing his homework. His father had come back home around midnight, and left again in the morning. Once again, Ryou had the house to himself.

His workbook only had a few lines of writing. Various drawings of inanimate objects lined the edges of the page. As predicted, Ryou's mind was wandering.

He hit himself on his forehead. His teachers would kill him if he didn't have his homework finished.

Frustrated, he got up from his chair. He needed a breather.

One thing he loved about living in a small town was how closely knit everything was; there was nowhere that wasn't in walking distance. It was almost possible to get by without a car, unless you lived or worked out of town, like his father did.

He remembered that Ishizu had used a car to pick up Marik on his first day of school. But she hadn't had one when they had met in the cemetery. Why was that? Maybe she had just been taking it for a test drive, or maybe she was just used to driving. Why had she even been picking him up? Was she worried that he would get lost?

He smiled to himself at this obsessive thought process as he set off down the footpath away from his house. It was no mystery why he hadn't been able to focus on homework.

He didn't really know where he was going. He had just needed to get outside for a while. Maybe that was metaphorical of his life. He certainly had no idea where _that_ was going.

It wasn't long before he found himself at the lake.

He stared out across it. This was where he had met Ishizu.

It hadn't frozen over yet, but its beauty was still breathtaking. The grass which sloped gently down to its banks was lush and perfect, covered with a thin scattering of golden leaves. A few of these leaves floated delicately on the still surface of the water, small splashes of colour on a plateau of crystalline purity.

The shop which usually sold hot drinks and rented skates was tucked inconspicuously to one side. When the lake wasn't open as a skating rink, is served as a small café.

Ryou made his way down towards the water's edge, recalling all the hours of his life he had spent there. A tiny white-haired boy, sitting by the lake, waiting for his love to return.

He sat down, dipping his fingers in the water. It was chilling and icy, but he didn't withdraw them. Maybe it would help shock him back to reality.

He had accepted by now that Ishizu wasn't going to remember him. For all it was worth, their meeting by the lake hadn't even happened.

But Ishizu was still real. He wasn't going to give up on her. Because, if he was honest with himself, he was still in love with her. And he had been for eight years.

A slight nipping at his fingers pulled him from his thoughts, and he noticed that a particularly bold duck had approached him and was looking at him expectantly. Ryou sighed, pulling his hand away.

"I don't have any bread."

The duck just looked at him. Of course it did; it was a duck.

"It must be a tough life, being a duck," Ryou said, turning his eyes back to the lake. "Everyone always says they think it would be easy to just swim about and get fed by tourists and little kids on picnics, but it's not that simple, is it?" he asked. "Because not everyone has bread. You have to go up to every person you see on the off chance that someone will have something to feed you. And if they do, they have to be nice enough to give it to you. When it comes right down to it, there aren't that many people out there who feed ducks. Some can't, some don't want to. And when you finally find someone who can and does, and suddenly everything seems so easy and perfect, that person won't necessarily come back again." He rested his head on his knees. "Or if they do, they've forgotten that there were any ducks there in the first place, and didn't bring anything to feed to them."

The duck still just looked at him, before letting out a loud quack and returning to the lake to wait for some better stocked picnickers.

Ryou smiled sadly. "It left...because that's what ducks do. If they don't get fed, they move on and find someone else. They don't waste their lives waiting for the one picnicker to remember the bread."

Ryou lay on his back, staring at the clouds. "The difference is that I'm not a duck."

* * *

><p>Ryou didn't know how long he stayed there. He thought he dozed off at one point.<p>

When he finally sat up again, it was still mid-morning. He stood up, brushing grass off himself.

He yawned. This expedition hadn't helped him focus his mind. Now, all he wanted to do was sleep. Pushing it aside, he turned back towards the footpath, casting one final glance at the lake.

"Hi, Ryou!"

It took a moment to recognise the voice, but he spun around when he did so. "Hey, Marik. What are you doing here?"

Marik had been passing by on the footpath. He was still several feet behind Ryou, and quickened his pace to catch up.

"Just getting to know the neighbourhood. What about you?"

"Procrastinating." He hesitated. "Um…Ishizu told me about your grandpa. I'm...really sorry."

Marik's face saddened. "Oh…yeah." He bit his lip. "Thanks. It's okay; I didn't know him that well, since we lived in Egypt and he lived in Japan. I'm just really worried about Teta; they were together for nearly fifty years."

Ryou's heart clenched. "She must miss him."

"She does…a lot."

Before an awkward hush could fall over them, Marik changed the subject. "Anyway; when were you talking to Ishizu?"

"Yesterday afternoon. We ran into each other. She didn't tell you?"

Marik shook his head. "Nope." He suddenly kicked at a fallen leaf. "It's so cold here, and it's not even winter yet."

Ryou laughed. "Yeah, wait until it snows. It must be really hot in Egypt."

Marik grimaced. "I hardly noticed it until I came here. The snow took a bit of getting used to last time."

Ryou nodded. "I can imagine. But snow can be a lot of fun, too. There's ice skating, and snow tubing…"

Marik grinned. "I remember snow tubing; I loved it! I'd go snow tubing for hours. Ishizu was more into skating. She picked up on it really fast."

Ryou smiled to himself.

They had reached at corner, and Ryou stopped. "Which way are you going?"

Marik checked the time. "I have to go home; I've got a ton of homework to do." He pointed in one direction.

"That's too bad; I'm this way." Ryou pointed in the other.

"Oh, well. I'll see you on Monday, maybe!"

Ryou smiled, and nodded. "Yep, definitely." He grinned. "Have fun with your homework!"

"You too!"

"And, um, tell Ishizu I say hi."

"Will do." Marik waved him off and set off down his street.

Ryou watched him go, his smile fading into a sad shell. Somehow, the only thing he remembered from his conversation with Marik was that Ishizu hadn't hold him about meeting Ryou.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi :D :D I'm SO sorry to have taken so long to put this chapter up DX Thank you for waiting so patiently ~.~ I had the most horrendous writers block imaginable D: But here is the chapter now, so...yeah. Please leave a review :D Thanks for reading as far as this chapter~!

* * *

><p>Sunday, and nearly a week had passed since Ryou had met Ishizu in the car park. Ryou dragged himself out of bed later than usual. He had somehow managed to complete his homework after getting home on Saturday; his trip to the lake had managed to set his head straight after all.<p>

As grateful as he was to have his homework finished, Ryou now had a perfectly good Sunday and nothing to do with it.

He considered his options; there wasn't much to do except potter. He settled on going down to Yugi's house and doing something there; he needed thto experience something normal. And most of all, he needed somebody to talk to. The loneliness of his household was almost stifling; it was on days like this when Amane was more absent than ever.

He set out down his street, in no hurry. It really was convenient to be within walking distance of everywhere.

He stopped, about to round the corner, when he reached an intersection. He stared down the other street. This was where he had parted with Marik the other day. He and Ishizu lived on that street.

He cast another look down the street that led to Yugi's house. There was no alternate route; he couldn't justify going down the Ishtars' street.

He bit his lip, in turmoil. It was perfectly legal for him to walk down any street he chose, and Yugi wasn't expecting him. He could just quickly walk down it...in case he could find their house.

He blinked in disbelief at his very own thought. Go looking for her house? That was kind of...creepy.

Ryou shuffled his feet uncomfortably. What was the problem? There was nothing wrong with walking past somebody's house; he did it hundreds of times every day! And besides; he probably wouldn't even see which one it was. Sighing, he turned into their street. He would just take a look.

Ryou had no idea what he was looking for; most of the houses looked the same, there were virtually no cars on the road and those that were, were in park.

He began to feel silly and self-conscious. What was he even doing here? He stopped walking and turned around again, wishing he hadn't come. What on earth would Marik think if he saw him here the day after saying that this was where they lived?

He was about to break into a run when he heard a sudden yell of alarm from one of the houses behind him.

Ryou came to a grinding halt out of pure instinct. Who could that have been? He spun around and nearly jumped out of his skin.

There was a collapsed figure lying in the doorway of the house he had heard the yell come from. Without giving it a thought, Ryou ran towards it. Upon arriving, he saw that she was a very old lady with long, silvery hair.

She was lying on her back. Ryou noticed a large black rubbish bag beside her, spilling kitchen scraps. He drew in a breath; had she been carrying all of that on her own?

Gently, Ryou picked up her hand and felt her wrist for a pulse, biting his lip. _Please, let her be okay._

"You don't need to panic, my boy; I've had worse."

Ryou looked to see her eyes open and staring at him. Ryou gave a shaky smile and helped her sit up. "Are you alright, ma'am?"

She was still breathing heavily. "I think so; I dropped the rubbish bag I was-"

Ryou instantly began to gather the spillage up, putting it back into the bag. He was grateful there wasn't anything too...messy. "There's a lot of stuff here to be carrying; do you need some help?"

She looked at him, her wrinkled face wearing an expression of deep gratitude. "Now, there aren't enough kids like you out there, young man."

Ryou blushed, tying a knot in the top of the bin liner. Setting it aside, he took the old lady by her hand and helped her back to her feet. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, concerned.

She nodded. "I'm not that old; I'll be just fine now, thanks to you."

Ryou bit his lip. "Well...okay..." He didn't look convinced.

The old lady pinched his cheek. "Now, don't you go worrying yourself over this old madcap. What's you're name, anyway?"

"My name's-"

"Ryou? What are you doing here?"

Ryou would have recognised her voice from amongst a crowd. Despite this, it took him several seconds to realise that it was really her speaking. He stared past the old lady to see Ishizu Ishtar, standing in the hallway behind the woman Ryou now knew was her grandmother.

His eyes flitted back the old lady. This was Ishizu's grandmother, who had just lost her husband? Ryou's heart softened; she was acting so happy, for someone so sad.

"Now, now, Ishizu," the old lady said. "Don't you worry; this young man was just helping me up when I fell over in the doorway."

Ishizu's eyes widened in alarm. "Oh, Teta! You weren't taking the rubbish out again, were you? I told you to let me or Marik do it instead." She was at her grandmother's side in an instant. "Did you fall down? This is just what I was worried about..." She hesitated, her eyes straying to Ryou.

Ishizu's grandmother laughed. "Don't get too worked up, my dear; I would have fallen over sooner had I known there were still gentlemen left in this town." She smiled at Ryou warmly.

Ryou blushed again. He hadn't really done much worth commending; he hadn't even been thinking about it.

Ishizu looked at him. "Forgive me – thank you so much, Ryou...I really appreciate it."

Ryou smiled, trying to keep his cool. "You're welcome, Ishizu."

Ishizu's grandmother looked delighted. "You two know each other? That's wonderful; Ishizu, why don't you properly introduce me to your friend?"

Ishizu blushed. "This is Ryou Bakura; he goes to the same school as Marik. Ryou, this is my grandmother."

Ryou smiled as the old lady shook his hand. He hesitated. "Um...I was so sorry to hear about your loss..."

A shadow fell across her eyes, and she sighed. "Ah, yes..."

Ryou didn't need to be an expert to know that she was far more grief stricken than she was letting on. They must have been together for a very long time. He wished he hadn't mentioned it.

She suddenly smiled again. "Well, you know what they say; don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." She changed the subject. "Anyway, now that you're here, Ryou, why don't you come in and have something to eat? It would be my treat; I've got muffins, biscuits, or I've got some scones in the stove-"

"I'm sure Ryou is very busy, Teta," Ishizu interjected. "We shouldn't keep him for too long."

Ryou looked at her, his mind going into overdrive. What did that mean? Did she want him to leave?

Ishizu's grandmother looked crestfallen. "Yes; of course he is. Well, Ryou, I must insist on having you over some time as thanks for helping me today. Please, feel very welcome to come around whenever you fancy it."

Ryou found himself blushing again. "That's...very kind of you, ma'am. Thank you."

She smiled again and touched Ryou's arm. "It's my pleasure; in a town this size, it's surprising that everybody doesn't know everybody."

Ryou began to feel uncomfortable. "I...I guess I'd better be off, then. It was very nice meeting you, ma'am." He picked up the rubbish bag. "I'll get this on my way out."

"Thanks again, Ryou. Come back any time."

Ryou smiled. "Thank you."

After a few more 'thank you's back and forth, Ishizu's grandmother finally let him go and, waving goodbye cheerily, closed the door. Letting out a sigh, Ryou picked up the rubbish bag and walked over to the bin that was parked out on the edge of the street.

"Ryou, wait!"

Ryou jumped slightly, almost dropping the bag, at the sound of Ishizu's voice. He turned to see her making her way towards him over the front lawn.

"Hi, Ishizu," Ryou said in a friendly tone, trying to act as though he had been here completely by accident when her grandmother had fallen.

Ishizu stopped, hesitating. "Thank you so much for helping Teta...Marik and I've told her before to let us take out the rubbish; she's just too old to be lifting anything these days. She could have really hurt herself."

Ryou was about to say that he hadn't really done much; he had just helped her up. If she had been seriously injured then there was nothing that he could have done. But then he changed his direction of thought to a completely different tangent – one he had never even dreamed of venturing down.

"My services come at a price," he said jokingly.

Ishizu frowned. "What?"

He nodded. "That's right. It'll cost you lunch at the cafe. With me."

He could tell that she hadn't expected that, and he felt his lip curl into a smile. Even he, Ryou, hadn't expected that. It had just popped out of him.

Ishizu lifted her eyebrow. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

Ryou laughed, somehow managing to keep his voice even. "Of course not; just a meal between friends. Think of it as my way of welcoming you to the neighbourhood."

Ishizu looked genuinely surprised at Ryou's offer, and Ryou had to refrain from biting his lip and crossing his fingers behind his back.

"That's very kind of you, Ryou; I'd love to."

_Yes!_ "Great!" Ryou grinned. "I...I guess I'll see you there. How about twelve o'clock?"

Ishizu nodded. "Sure thing; I'll see you at twelve."

Ryou could sense his control slipping. He had to make his escape before he lost his head. "Cool..." He gestured towards the end of the road. "I'd getter go, then...bye, Ishizu!"

"Bye, Ryou!"

Ryou had no idea how he kept his legs from skipping away down the street.


	6. Chapter 6

Please don't hate me for taking so long! T^T I'm sorry! I'm sorrryyyyy! :'(

I was all set to have my entire summer holidays to work on my stories, but my parents banned me from my computer for the whole eight weeks because they decided I was spending too much time on it and since I didn't need to do assignments, I didn't need a computer. It hurt, physically, to have that much free time and be completely unable to write. If it's any consolation I did do a fair bit with paper and pens, but I still need to type those up. And since I've already got three assignments, I may have to juggle my time a bit.

But I haven't given up on any of my stories! I WILL FINISH THEM IF IT KILLS ME, I PROMISE YOU! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! T^T

~IA

* * *

><p>It was nine o'clock when Ryou returned home. He couldn't believe how much had happened between now and when he had woken that morning.<p>

He found himself humming as he trotted up to his front porch. Ishizu's grandmother officially liked him, and he had a date – no, a welcoming meal between friends – with Ishizu herself in three hours. His lip curled at this thought as he let himself into his house.

He began to feel uneasy with himself. Ishizu had just lost her grandfather. Was it really appropriate to be acting as though it hadn't happened so…casually?

Ryou shook his head. No…surely all he was doing was helping to take her mind off of it. And besides, she was new to the neighbourhood – wouldn't she need a friend to help her through her loss? Ryou closed his eyes forlornly. He knew all too well how much of a blessing a friend could be in a time of grief.

Back in his room, he started fretting again, flinging clothes out of his draws, trying to find something appropriate. "It's not a date," he reminded himself aloud. "And it's just a coffee shop. You don't need to wear anything fancy…nothing makes a girl more uncomfortable than feeling underdressed…"

He looked back over the mess he had made and burst out laughing. "Oh, for heaven's sake, what am I – a teenage girl? This shouldn't be a problem. Okay." He ran back to his wardrobe. "Simple, smart…no, doesn't need to be too smart. And I don't want her to think I'm taking this too seriously so I won't bring anything…"

* * *

><p>"Ah…Ryou."<p>

There was more surprise in Ishizu's voice than anything else. Upon seeing her, Ryou instantly sprang to his feet from the table where he had been seated. There was an awkward moment in which the two of them took in the other's appearance. Ishizu, in her elegant but simple white dress, and Ryou in a full suit and tie, his hands clasped hesitantly around a bouquet of delicate white roses.

"Hi, Ishizu." Ryou looked anywhere but at her.

Still somewhat surprised by Ryou's choice of attire, Ishizu sat down opposite him. "You, ah, you do realise this is a coffee shop, don't you?"

Ryou nodded, his words sticking in his throat. "Yeah, sure, 'course I do, Ishizu…why would you ask something like that?" He laughed a little too heartily.

"Um…you're dressed a little…formal…"

Another burst of choked laughter. "Who's formal? I think this is _very_ appropriate café attire. We've, you know, got to set standards and stuff."

He just couldn't do it. The idea of deliberately dressing casually in front of Ishizu when he had a chance to make an effort…

He had regretted it as soon as he arrived, of course. But by that point he really didn't have much of a chance to do anything about it. _And now I look ridiculous! Hurrah…_

Ishizu just giggled. "I suppose that's fair enough then." Her lips curling into a breathtaking smile, she set down her purse on the table. "I feel a little underdressed."

Ryou cringed. He was afraid of that. "Oh and, um, here I got you these," he added, extremely uncomfortably, passing her the flowers across the table. "I thought you could put them somewhere, or if you don't want them you could give them to your grandmother from me or something, just in case you didn't want them, so that-"

Ishizu laughed, although not unkindly. "You sure know how to talk a lot when you put your mind to it," she said, smiling and taking the roses from him, setting them down on the table beside her.

Ryou cleared his throat. "So anyway-"

"Can I get you two anything to eat or drink?" the waitress asked, appearing beside them from seemingly nothing. Both Ryou and Ishizu jumped.

"Um…yes please. Some lemonade?" Ryou replied, glancing at Ishizu who smiled and asked for a glass of water.

After ordering their meals, the waitress left them in peace. And by peace, that meant awkward silence.

"Er, I guess it's a lot colder here than what you're used to," Ryou mumbled, not meeting her eye.

"Yes, it is." Ishizu drummed her thin, delicate fingers on the table absentmindedly. "But it's nothing I can't handle."

"That's good."

Silence.

Ryou began to wish he was somewhere else. This lunch had been a stupid idea – he was seventeen and she was twenty-one; if it weren't for their ethnic differences people would assume he was her little brother.

"You know, Ryou," Ishizu began. Ryou did the human equivalent of pricking up his ears. "I really am grateful that you're trying so hard to help me and Marik fit in here..."

Ryou refused to admit that his cheeks were reddening. "Oh, it's…it's nothing."

"…but I just…can't help but think…" She laughed uncomfortably, and Ryou noticed a faint pink blush across her tanned cheeks. "Well…and correct me if I'm wrong, because this is kind of silly, but I can't help thinking that it looks like you're…interested…in me."

Ah.

Ryou burst out laughing a second too late. "What? That's ridiculous! You're four years older than me. I'm, er, I just…" Just what? Spend the last eight years of his life waiting for her? "I just…spent the last eight years of my life sad that I never got to thank you properly for helping me that time. It…" He hesitated. "It was the first time a complete stranger – or anyone outside my family or close friends, really – had done anything to help me. I…kinda think it was the last time, too." He laughed again, nervously. "So…yeah. That was a turning point in my life."

Ishizu smiled, embarrassed. "I see." She laughed too. "Well, I'm glad we've cleared that up. That could have been really awkward."

Ryou gave her the thumbs up. "So we're cool?"

"We're cool."

Their drinks arrived from the friendly waitress, and after a few words of thanks, they were left alone again.

Ishizu sipped her water. "So, on another note, tell me a little bit about this neighbourhood. Have you always lived here?"

"Pretty much – we moved here when I was two, so I don't remember anything else. I reckon you'll like the place – it's hard not to. There was this one when I was five – this is one of my earliest memories – when everyone in the whole town had this big festival, where we all dressed up in bright orange – yeah, I know, bright orange; that's a story in itself – and there was a ton of food, and dancing…"

As Ryou went on with his story, he tried to conceal the emptiness in his heart over their brief exchange of words from earlier. _She really does see me as a child. _

Ishizu's thoughts had taken a different path. Her deep blue eyes did little to betray the emotion she was feeling.

_The only time anyone ever helped him out?_


End file.
